Okay, let's see if I can get back on track to do these weekly, instead of the sporadic monthly randomness.
SO, starting with this evening and going backwards...
Tonight I went to see what I think was the seventh preview performance of "Next to Normal" (it started previews... I think this past Wednesday). The buzz on the message boards, granted it seems mostly from people who saw it when it was called "Feeling Electric" and was presented at NYMF a few years ago, has been quite positive. On the other hand my boss saw it Thursday night, and like me had not seen it at NYMF, and thought it was "okay." I think I sort of see myself in both camps: I left the theatre on a high note, but I had a lot of problems with what went on onstage. The basic premise of the show, without giving anything important away, is that there is this mother who suffers from depression and has hallucinations, who has been on a cocktail of pills for something like sixteen years, and things just aren't really working. So, of course, her family is a little (?) screwed up. I'd say the show is mostly sung through. The rock score is by Tom Kitt (aka, composer of that Broadway hit "High Fidelity" which, credit where it's due, does make for a rather enjoyable cast recording, despite how awful the show as a whole is/was), with an unfortunate book and set of lyrics by the rather less talented Brian Yorkey. There were a few songs I liked, at least from the point of view of the music (there's no song list in the Playbill, so don't ask me to name them... not that that necessarily would have helped), but many of the others just sort of blended together and started sounding sort of generic and the same. The lyrics were on the whole pretty awful. Most of the rhymes seemed kind of forced - like one character would say some random line about remembering "her first tooth" and you knew they only threw that in there because they needed something to rhyme with "truth." And when the rhymes weren't being forced, there was usually a cliche in there to make me cringe (things along the lines of "this house is not a home"). As for the book, the first act seemed kind of slow. There were some interesting quirks along the way that did grab my interest, but it was something of a bumpy ride. I really enjoyed the beginning of the second act - things finally seemed to slow down and get interesting - but then somewhere maybe 2/3 through the act, I think they realized that the show couldn't be four hours long, so they'd better get up and resolve things, and characters suddenly seemed a little more willing to listen to each other for the sake of resolution, and some (like the daughter) seemed to suddenly become a whole lot more responsible and normal after just one talk with her mother? - then there was a really nice twist, and then the whole thing ended with one of those tacked on happy inspirational songs (sort of like "The Song of Purple Summer" in "Spring Awakening"). I think the last song was called "Into the Light," and it seemed just stuck on there so the audience would get all emotional and teary eyed, and they would have something to hum on the way out, and they would leave on a satisfied note, despite the unevenness of what they had just witnessed. And I'm kind of ashamed to admit that it sort of worked. Granted somewhere between leaving the theatre and getting onto the subway, the song morphed into "Bring Me To Light" from "Violet" - a song that, if I recall, serves the same purpose in that show - but that said, at least the show was able to leave a good taste the audiences mouths.
As for the performances, the cast is quite strong (with one exception), with the underrated Brian D'Arcy James (as the father) and the new to me Aaron Tveit (as the song) being particularly spectacular. Alice Ripley has the lead role of the mother and she definitely left me with very mixed feelings. I've always had a soft spot for her and Emily Skinner since "Side Show." But I can't help but think she may have been miscast in this. For most of the show, I enjoyed her performance, though her voice sounded kind of ragged (it seems like it's a really vocally punishing part, and I wonder whether she's survive the run), but I rationalized that the part is hard and it was a two show day. But then in the second act, there was a scene with the father and son together - and no Ripley, and I couldn't help think how much more enjoyable the show was when she wasn't on stage. When she was offstage, I didn't need to sit there and wonder whether her voice was going to hold out or rationalize away the fault, I could just sit back and enjoy the show. And really, I don't know that her acting was really up to snuff either. Granted it's only the seventh preview, but I don't know that I really every bought her as the mother.
As for the visual stuff, the lighting (by "Spring Awakening" lighting designer) Kevin Adam is excellent - he certainly is fond of those exposed light bulbs. The set - made up of black pipes fashioned into three-level scaffolding, and with some pictured panels, was initially exciting (like, when I first walked into the theatre I went "wow") but didn't really grow on me. And though there is very little choreography, the one big dance number - the first act finale, was really embarrassing - it looked almost like the actors just made up their own dances.
Anyway, back to the 'granted it's the seventh preview' note, it IS only the first week of previews, and I certainly hope they'll pull their act together in time for opening. It does concern me that they already had a run on NYMF and have already had a lot of time to fix things, so I wonder if this is as good as it will get (in which case, it's probably hopeless), but I think I'm going to try to see the show again closer to opening to see if things change. If I had really totally hated the show, or if was just 'eh' on the show, I wouldn't bother returning, but there was something interesting going on stage, so I want to see if the show jells over the course of previews. Should be interesting.
Onto the next show... this afternoon I saw "Crimes of the Heart." I see all of the Roundabout shows with a subscription, so I should really probably not see shows twice - or at least twice before I've gotten the obligatory subscription viewing out of the way. But I have little will power for such things. So I went this afternoon. I remember seeing a production of the play a long time ago - possibly when I was in elementary school - at the Airport Playhouse - I know it was a long time ago, because I think it was part of a subscription, and it's been a really long time since we've done that. Anyway, my memory of the show was that I really liked it, so I was actually looking forward to the Roundabout's production. Well, maybe my tastes have changed. The show is okay - like "Next to Normal," it does have an ending that was at least satisfying, but it mostly just seemed like really slow going. The guy next to me fell asleep and was snoring in the second act. It was kind of annoying, but I couldn't say I blamed him. Not that he really missed anything. There is some fine ensemble acting going on - and though there was an understudy on for Babe (normally played by Lily Rabe), the understudy was just as good as the regulars. Of course, the show just started previews on Friday, so that could be part of the reason - though I thought the others had played the role in the production at Williamstown that the Roundabout plucked for their season. I guess I'd say I liked the show, but it was just really slow.
Saturday night was "Come Back Little Sheba'' again. The show seems to really be splitting audiences. I enjoyment seems to depend on how you feel about a play written and set 58 years ago. Some people just don't seem to buy it, calling it dated and stale. That didn't really bother me at all, but then again I'm used to watching old black and white movies and reruns of "I Love Lucy," so such things generally don't occur to me. I still love the play, and the production still moved me, and that's all I have to say on that.
Friday night, I went to a reading of the first act of Stephen Schwartz's opera based on "A Seance on a Wet Afternoon." Schwartz is, of course, the composer of hit shows like "Wicked," "Pippin" and "Godspell," none of which I'd say I'm all that fond of, but anyway.... The opera didn't really sound much like his musicals. Maybe it's due to the fact that opera singers were performing instead of musical theatre folk, but it really sounded just like your typical modern American opera - except it was slightly more melodic than something like... say... "Margaret Garner." I won't say much since this was apparently the first time it was being presented anywhere, and was in fact Schwartz's first time hearing the score sung my professional singers. I will say, that I hope the opera comes to New York eventually - it doesn't premiere until Fall 2009 - and then in Santa Barbara, so I imagine I have some waiting to do. Lauren Flanagan played the lead role in the reading (the Kim Stanley role in the film), and I hope they keep her for the full production, because she was wonderful. Schwartz said after the presentation that he's maybe 1/3 of the way through the second act, and then he'll start orchestrating some time this summer. So there's definitely a long road ahead. Still, based on a first reading of the first act, I'd say this is something interesting to look out for.
Thursday night was "The Maddening Truth" and I think it was maybe the second preview (I don't know what it is about me and early previews). I found it to be pretty much a total bore. It was the second preview of a world premiere play, so there's alway hope for improvement, but unlike "Next to Normal," I have absolutely no desire to find out if things turn around.
Wednesday night was "The 39 Steps." I know the critics - Brantley especially - just loved it, but I think it just wasn't my type of humor. I even watched the movie the night before to prepare myself so I wouldn't miss jokes. And the movie seemed really lame and ripe for parody, so I was especially looking forward to it. But all that four actor playing hundreds of roles as a source of humor doesn't really do it for me. It was silly and slight and certainly painless (I'm not dreading going back to see it a second time with the subscription), but just not for me. I'd say - as a barometer - if you liked "Stones in his Pockets" (which I didn't) you'll probably like this, because if memory serves, it was a similar type of humor.
And I think that about catches me up.
'night all.
Ooh - one more non-theatre related item - on a more regular bloggy, random note. I went the Hershey store after "Crimes of the Heart" because I was having a craving for Good & Plenty and I was near by. And on my way to the checkout line I found a box of Hersey's Milk Chocolate Bar with Green Tea Creme, which I of course bought because I love green tea flavored sweets, and I love trying new candy. It's in a plain white box, the writing on the bars is all in some Asian language, and the back of the box (where they have nutritional info and ingredients) says the bars were manufactured in Dubai. Huh. Didn't know they made candy there. Anyway, the bars are really yummy - the chocolate tastes more like Nestle than the Hershey chocolate I'm used to, and the green tea creme is quite tasty as well. They're obscenely unhealthy of course (even with .1g of trans fat per serving), but what - candy is supposed to be healthy? Anyway, if you like green tea and you like chocolate, and you happen to be by the Hershey store in Times Square (the chances of anyone reading this satisfying all of those criterion and actually listening to me, a random blogger, is probably about as good as me winning the lottery, but I put it out there because "hey, you never know.")
